He was responding after Scalise urged Democrat leaders to denounce the threats of violence that have become increasingly common among the left.

“These vicious threats have to stop. This cannot be the new normal—there is absolutely no place for violence in our political discourse. Democratic leaders need to denounce this behavior,” Scalise wrote.

The tweet accompanied a link to a Fox News story about the wife of Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) receiving a graphic text of beheading following the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

Despite criticism, Cizmar doubled down on his remarks, claiming that any official who doesn’t support stricter gun control laws shouldn’t receive sympathy.

Scalise later tweeted that he was praying for Cizmar.

Pattern of Violence, Threats

Violence and threats have become more common in the Democratic party and their supporters, with the pattern clearly seen in the past several weeks alone.

On Sept. 24, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) was dining with his wife Heidi in Washington when a group of far-left people linked to Antifa approached and harassed them, forcing them to leave the restaurant. The pattern of mobs confronting Republican officials in restaurants dates back to earlier this year.

A youth outreach director for Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum, a Democrat who has the backing of major donors on the left, was fired on Sept. 30 after it was revealed he called for the execution of President Donald Trump.

Ian Millhiser, an activist with the Think Progress blog, said in a later-deleted tweet in late September, “Tell me again why we shouldn’t confront Republicans where they eat, where they sleep, and where they work.”

Jackson Cosko, who allegedly doxxed, or revealed personal details including home addresses, of three Republican Senators was arrested and revealed on Oct. 3 to be a longtime Democrat staffer who worked for Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), among others.

William Clyde Allen was arrested and charged on Oct. 5, for sending letters to the Pentagon and President Trump, saying he wanted to “send a message.” The parcels contained castor beans, which are used to make the poison ricin. Sen. Cruz received a similar letter.

Democrat leaders have not condemned the violence and threats; many have done the opposite.

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) told a crowd in Los Angeles in June, “If you see anybody from that Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd and you push back on them, and you tell them they’re not welcome anymore, anywhere.”

Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) told supporters to “get up in the face of some congresspeople” in July, a call condemned by the wife of Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who recently revealed she’s taken to sleeping with a gun because of the threats she’s received. Rand Paul was attacked in his home in Nov. 2017.

Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) refused to condemn the pattern of harassment during an interview with CNN after she was asked, “Should the going after people at restaurants stop?” stating: “This is what happens.”

And Hillary Clinton pointedly told supporters in a recent interview with CNN that they should not be civil, claiming: “You cannot be civil with a political party that wants to destroy what you stand for,” a comment that caught Scalise’s attention. “Seriously, Hillary?” he wrote.

The rhetoric and violence have been present for a while, too. Antifa’s threats and violence against supporters of President Trump have been well-documented, while some people, including Democratic official Phil Montag, said he was glad Scalise was shot last year.